I Can't Quit You Baby
by mamapranayama
Summary: Dean knows his car better than anyone, except he might be wrong about her this time around.


_**A/N: This little fic comes from the prompt 'Out of Gas' from the SPN_bigpretzel one-year anniversary challenge**_

** p.s.: I don't own Supernatural**

**I Can't Quit You Baby**

"Dammit!"

Sam woke suddenly with a jerk at his brother's exclamation. The car, sputtering and gasping until Dean pulled it over to the shoulder, coasted for a few feet before a death rattle issued from the engine and it finally gave up on life and died.

"No, Baby … don't do this to me!" Dean cried, turning the key over and over again in the vain hope of starting the engine, "C'mon … c'mon."

The car was silent towards Dean's pleas.

"Dude … it's not gonna start." Sam pointed to the gas gauge, "We're outta gas."

"No we're not." Dean countered quickly, "The needle's only in the middle of the 'E'. I know my car, Sam and she's not out of gas until the needle is all the way to the bottom. We should have made it at least another 2 miles before running out."

Sam rolled his eyes. He wasn't the mechanic Dean was, but he could read a damned gas gauge. "Why didn't you stop earlier and fill up?"

"Because, she's not out of gas! I think I remember telling you this already." Dean shot a look that would scare the piss out of anyone, except Sam, who had been on the receiving end of that look often enough to not be even a little bit intimidated by it.

Sam sighed and shook his head. There was no arguing with his brother when he was in this kind of foul mood and stayed in his seat as Dean pushed his door open, stomped his way towards the front of the car and then popped open the hood.

Sam yawned and stretched his arms before deciding to join his brother outside so he could work the rest of the kinks out of his cramped legs and make the most out of this unexpected pit stop. Getting out of the car, he walked up to Dean who was grumbling under his breath and swearing worse than a wounded pirate on a sinking ship as he poked around different hoses, belts and parts that Sam couldn't remember the names of.

Looking around, Sam noted that in the distance, he could make out the tall sign of a Shell station not more than a mile or so away, "Y'know … I could just walk over to the gas station –" he offered, only to be cut off by another blazing glare from Dean.

"She's not out of gas!"

"Then what else is it?"

Dean didn't answer, just turned back to the engine and continued growling as he searched for any problem that might explain the car's demise other than admitting that Sam might be right.

This time it was Sam's turn to swear. His brother might not have inherited their father's dark hair, but he sure did his temper and stubbornness. Frustrated and annoyed, Sam walked away and left Dean, climbing back into his seat to wait and brood.

Twenty minutes went by as Dean checked everything, even going under the car to see if anything was going on down there, but came back to his seat wearing a deep-lined, face lengthening frown, leaving the car door open as he silently fumed. He gripped the steering wheel tight while looking out the windshield and grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Find anything?" Sam finally dared to ask after a few tense and silent moments

"What do you think?"

"I think you know what I think."

Dean's face went bright red as Sam braced himself, knowing that an explosion was inevitable. He wasn't at all surprised when his brother shouted, "SHE'S NOT OUT OF GAS!" and grabbed the door handle, slamming it shut.

The car rocked from the sudden impact while at the same time, the needle on the gas gauge bounced up once and then landed soundly at the bottom of the 'E', almost a full centimeter lower than its previous position.

Silence followed.

Somewhere a cricket chirped.

Dean's eyes were fixed squarely on the gas gauge as his lips pursed into an 'O' as he realized that the needle must have been stuck the whole time.

Sam folded his arms across his chest and smugly glared at his brother.

Dean's eyes finally left the instrument and met Sam's.

"Don't say it." Dean warned with a pointed finger as Sam opened his mouth to give his brother a well-earned 'I told you so.'

Sam shut his mouth and grinned wryly as Dean shoved his door open again and walked around to the trunk and popped it open, grabbing the empty gas can before slamming it shut again.

Dean glared angrily in his direction as he walked by the door and Sam leaned over to call out through the open window, "Hey - pick me up a soda while you're getting the gas, will ya?"

Sam wasn't the slightest bit offended by the hand gesture Dean gave him before he started walking down the road at an angry pace; instead he laughed to himself and leaned back in his seat as a wave of vindication swept over him. Deciding that he might as well enjoy his little victory for a while and finish that nap he had been woken from, he cupped the back of his head with his hands and closed his eyes, sighing in contentment.

Sometimes it felt really, really good to be right.

The End


End file.
